Peruvian citizen pleads guilty in Florida in $15 million mail and wire fraud scheme targeting U.S. Spanish speakers
Florida – Earlier this week, a Peruvian citizen admitted guilt for his role in a large-scale mail and wire fraud plot. Court records reveal that Jose Alejandro Zuñiga Cano, aged 40 from Lima, Peru, managed a call center that targeted Spanish-speaking individuals in the U.S. The center made false threats of arrest, legal actions, and immigration issues to extort money from them. Zuñiga was brought from Peru to the U.S. in March to answer to these allegations.
Zuñiga marks the 12th conviction in a case involving a $15 million scam that deceived and intimidated Spanish-speaking consumers in the U.S. into paying for English-language learning products that they did not initially order. This fraud affected over 30,000 U.S. residents, many of whom were recent immigrants interested in learning English.
This group of 12 convicted individuals includes eight who owned Peruvian call centers and four who operated U.S. distribution centers. These distribution centers were involved in handling payments and shipments of products, playing a significant part in perpetuating the fraud. These operators also exchanged tips on effective ways to deceive Spanish-speaking Americans.
“The long arm of the American justice system has no limits when it comes to reaching fraudsters who prey on our nation’s most vulnerable populations, to include the elderly and recent immigrants,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “We will not allow transnational criminals to use fear tactics and intimidation to steal money from the public we serve. Individuals who defraud American consumers will be brought to justice, no matter where they are located.”
“The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch is dedicated to protecting vulnerable U.S. consumers from fraudsters, including those who reside beyond our borders,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Individuals who defraud our immigrant communities will be brought to justice and held accountable in U.S. courts.”
Read also: Miami-Dade County makes another step towards helping local residents to buy their own home
“This investigation attests that justice will be pursued relentlessly to protect U.S. consumers,” said Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Miami Field Division. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and the U.S. Attorney’s Office worked steadfastly to uphold the integrity of our legal system and the postal system. Today’s 12th conviction should send a strong message to those who exploit the mail for criminal use. You will be brought to justice.”
Court records indicate that Zuñiga operated a call center in Lima, which made unsolicited calls to Spanish-speaking individuals in the U.S., deceitfully informing them that they had won or were eligible for free products like computer tablets and English language courses. In subsequent calls, Zuñiga and his accomplices falsely claimed these individuals were legally bound to pay substantial amounts to receive the products. They impersonated legal professionals, court staff, police, and representatives of a fictitious “minor crimes court” to intimidate the victims into making payments, threatening them with legal action, arrest, and immigration repercussions if they refused.
Read also: 13th Floor Homes purchases 270 acres in Tamarac for upscale residential project
Those who complied and paid were further exploited through a fake restitution scheme. Zuñiga and his group made additional calls to these victims, posing as attorneys for a U.S. court, falsely stating that the victims were due restitution payments and could get their money back if they paid the attorney who allegedly represented them. However, no such attorney or restitution order existed, and no refunds were ever issued; instead, Zuñiga personally pocketed these additional payments.
On June 13, Zuñiga pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud, with a sentencing hearing set for October 10. He could face up to 20 years in prison. The sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge, who will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines among other factors.
Read also: Homeowners at Heron Pond Condo complex in Pembroke Pines ordered to vacate no late than August 29
Zuñiga is the eighth individual extradited from Peru to admit guilt in the federal court for conspiracies linked to Peruvian call centers. Between 2021 and 2022, U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola, Jr. sentenced several of Zuñiga’s co-conspirators—Henrry Milla, Carlos Espinoza, Jerson Renteria, Fernan Huerta, Omar Cuzcano, Evelyng Milla, and Josmell Espinoza—to prison terms ranging from 88 to 110 months. Additionally, four other co-conspirators involved in operating these centers have been sentenced. In March 2023, U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Seitz sentenced Luis Rendon, who managed a U.S. distribution center that played a key role in the fraud, to 65 months in prison.
USPIS and the Consumer Protection Branch investigated the case.
